Proof of sixteen quarters of nobility of John Savage, 5th Earl Rivers, Canon of Liège.

1 f., 90 x 65 cm, on parchment, in Latin, pen and black ink, tree and coats of arms enhanced with watercolour, autogr. signed attestations dated London, 1722, blue paper vignette with dry stamps (sl. soiling, occ. spotting, some sm. holes without loss).

In roll.

Nice ascending family tree of J. Savage (1665-1737), grandson of John, 2 Earl Rivers, and a descendant of the Traffords through his mother. He was educated at Douai, and ordained Catholic priest about 1710, under the name of Father Wilson. Shortly after that, he was made Canon of Liège. It was not necessary to be of Liège nationality to enter the chapter of Saint-Lambert in Liège, but it was necessary to present a university degree or to prove a sufficient number of quarters of nobility. Our document was probably used for this purpose.
Ref. Dict. of National Biography 50:344. - Hansotte, G. - "Les chanceliers des évêques et princes de Liège aux temps modernes", in Bulletin de la Commission royale d'Histoire, 150, 1984, pp. 523-532. - Not in de Theux, Le chapitre de Saint-Lambert à Liège, 1871-1872.